After five and a half long years, the Downtown Disney Resort Area hotels have returned to their full complement of seven resorts with the reopening of the Holiday Inn.
When Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne blew through Walt Disney World in a span of two months back in 2004, they blew the doors closed on two hotels which needed major repairs and renovation. While the adjacent Hotel Royal Plaza completed its renovations and reopened in early 2006, the Holiday Inn almost reopened in 2005 before a decision was made that the hotel really needed a complete overhaul. Following an ownership change, a corporate makeover campaign and lots of hard work, the Holiday Inn finally reopened earlier this year, having been completely redone from the concrete out. All of that work seems to have paid off, though,, as the hotel is already in the top 10 rankings for Orlando-area hotels on TripAdvisor.com.
The Holiday Inn has finally rejoined the ranks of the Downtown Disney Resort Area Hotels. Promotional image. Click on all photos for a larger image.
The Holiday Inn was one of Hotel Plaza Boulevard’s original four hotels, when it was a Howard Johnson’s Resort Hotel. The other originals were the Dutch Inn (later the Americana Dutch and Grosvenor before becoming the Regal Sun Resort), the Travelodge (later Viscount and now Best Western) ,and the Royal Inn (now the Royal Plaza). The Howard Johnson’s became a Courtyard by Marriott in 1995, and then switched to Holiday Inn in late 2003, less than a year before the triple-hurricane blows forced it closed.
The welcoming check-in area in the lobby features three comfortable divided areas for groups to congregate in. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.
The hotel has been truly rebuilt, rather than renovated, with the underlying concrete structure the only thing that was untouched. Even the floor plans of the public spaces have been completely redone, with an eye to providing a better guest experience. The pool has been rebuilt as a zero-entry facility (a sloped entry on the shallow end, rather than steps), with a sundeck, an adjacent “Aqua Luna” dining area and nearby function space to handle small events.
The rebuilt pool has a zero-entry shallow end with bubbling fountain (far end) and a lap pool (near end). Photo by Mark Goldhaber.
The shaded “Aqua Luna” area provides a pleasant spot for lounging or lunching near the pool. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.
Hotel rooms have gotten a complete makeover. From granite-top bath vanities to 32-inch widescreen LCD TVs (with DirecTV and premium channels) to new beds and bedding to free Internet to plentiful power outlets, the rooms are well-outfitted for comfort. Add in mini-refrigerators (not mini-bars), Bath & Body Works bath amenities, in-room single-cup coffee makers with Rainforest Alliance coffee, and in-room safes large enough to store a large laptop—and you’ve got the makings of a comfortable stay.
One-third of the hotel’s rooms feature king-size beds, with two queen-size beds in the remaining two-thirds. Most king-bed rooms have glass-walled showers, and all have sleeper sofas. Every room has adjustable desks with ergonomic chairs.
King bed rooms feature sleeper sofas. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.
All rooms feature pillow-top mattresses and triple sheeting. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.
No more guessing how hard your pillow will be. They’re labeled for you! Do you prefer soft pillows? Photo by Mark Goldhaber.
Or are firm pillows to more your taste? Both are available in every room. Photo by Mark Goldhaber
When you’re hungry, there’s a new restaurant in the hotel’s open atrium. The Palm Breezes Restaurant and adjacent Palm Breezes Bar are open all day, with a menu by Chef Leon Teow. The lovely atrium is open to the top of the hotel, with a pair of glass elevators giving an overview of the scene. Adjacent to the bar is a grab-and-go food location for those who don’t want a sit-down meal, and, of course, room service is available if you’d rather not leave your room at all.
A 24-hour fitness center features Life Fitness equipment, and a 24-hour business center lets you get some work in while you’re away from home. If you’ve got your own equipment, but don’t want to work in your room, there’s available Wi-Fi connectivity in public areas.
Amenities include 32″ LG HDTVs with DirecTV, single-cup coffee makers, mini-refrigerators and more. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.
All rooms have adjustable desks with ergonomic chairs, wired high speed Internet access, and multiple convenient electrical outlets. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.
Bathrooms feature granite countertops and Bath & Body Works amenities. Promotional image.
Many balconies have a view of Downtown Disney (right). The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is visible behind the Cirque du Soleil building. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.
Despite all of that, the pricing is not premium. The resort is aiming for the moderate-priced market. They’re also aiming to do a lot of business with meetings, weddings and other special events. There’s a total of 11,000 square-feet of function space, including 2,600 square-feet of pre-function space, and the largest ballroom with theater-style seating for up to 560 guests can be divided into four equal-sized smaller rooms. A smaller ballroom, seating 250 theater-style, can be broken into three smaller rooms. State-of-the-art audio/visual services are available for functions that require it.
Two glass elevators travel above the hotel’s open atrium. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.
On the atrium’s ground floor is the airy, casual Palm Breezes Restaurant. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.
And of course, as a Downtown Disney Resort Area hotel, guests have access to all of the standard benefits, such as continuous free bus service to all Disney theme parks, water parks, and Downtown Disney (though Downtown Disney is certainly within walking distance if you prefer). Guests also have access to preferred tee times at Walt Disney World golf courses. Theme park purchases can even be delivered to the resort for you.
The Holiday Inn was one of Hotel Plaza Boulevard’s original hotels. Promotional image.
The hotel has even done a complete makeover of their Website (link). They’re also on Twitter @Holiday_Inn_WDW and Facebook (link).
It’s great to see Downtown Disney back at its full complement of hotels. Welcome back, Holiday Inn!
